Northern Neck Now

Heathsville has served as the county seat of Northumberland County since it was established in 1681 as Northumberland Court House. Though today it is little more than a crossroads village, the present town was laid out according to a plan prepared in 1798 by the architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. A broad range of early architecture is found in the district’s 100 contributing buildings, most of it vernacular in character. Several, however, exhibit influences of academic styles. The present courthouse, a modified Queen Anne-style building, was designed by F. Bartholomew and erected in 1900-01. In front is an 1873 Confederate monument. Behind the courthouse is Rice’s Hotel, the core of which is the 18th-century courthouse tavern. Nearby are an 1844 jail and an antebellum Methodist church. A small commercial core is adjacent to the court square. Maintaining the community’s historic rural context are five antebellum plantation complexes, including the individually listed Springfield, Sunnyside and Oakley.

Heathsville Historic District